In the construction field there are many experts, but none that have the practical experience offered by the experts at The Solender Group Inc. Our practical experience covers the gamut from building hundreds of residential, commercial and industrial projects, both as a general contractor for others, as well as being one of the top ten developers in California.

These developments encompassed diverse projects such as residential condominiums, custom homes, tract homes, low and high rise office buildings, apartments and industrial buildings. Most of these developments involved every aspect from the initial purchase of the land on through the actual construction and sale of the completed project following notice of completion.

Coupled with the huge amount of forensic experience involving over five hundred cases and many thousands of hours working closely with attorneys, our expert team offers the unique experience of extreme practicality of working in the field as well as having the highest of academic credentials. Our principal has testified in over twenty seven cases and has been deposed over a hundred times. He brings to the table over forty years experience as well as considerable negotiating skills with mediators and arbitrators.

Our acoustical expert has been working for twelve years in the field of acoustics, noise and vibration control. A graduate in Engineering Acoustics, the early part of his career was spent in England, firstly at Trox Brothers Ltd., manufacturers of air conditioning equipment, where performed acoustical tests on products. He then took up a position with Hann Tucker Associates, a major English acoustical consultancy. In his five years with the company, he project managed many significant buildings from conceptual design to occupancy.

Additionally, three years were spent at Paul Veneklasen and Associates in Santa Monica, California as project manager for many of the company's largest and most complicated projects.

The principal project types in which relevant expertise and experience have been gained are itemized below:

Spaces dedicated to the presentation or reproduction of music and speech have very particular acoustical requirements. The acoustical characteristics of the space are an intrinsic part of its function, with all of the design features working in harmony to enhance the users' enjoyment. Intrusive or distracting noise must be minimized. Some forms of entertainment generate noise and vibration and special consideration must be given to its control, so that the participants can derive their enjoyment without interfering with the amenity of others.

Speculative base building, tenant improvement and corporate headquarters. It is essential to provide an acoustical environment in an office building that is suitable for a variety of uses. Conference rooms need to have low background noise levels, external road, rail and air traffic need to be adequately controlled and good speech privacy needs to be maintained between executive offices. The internal environment needs to be optimized for these various uses without excessive expenditure.

The acoustical challenges in the design of a new Medical Center include: control of HVAC system noise without conventional fibrous noise control products, providing good acoustical separation with partitions having heavy stud gauges, control of noise and vibration from helicopters landing on the roof, provision of very low vibration environments for MRI equipment, then design of large conference rooms, which may require speech reinforcement and the control of reverberation in large entrance lobbies and waiting areas.

Increasing concern over environmental issues has given rise to a more prominent role for the acoustical consultant. As Environmental Impact Assessments become more common, the acoustical impacts of construction as well as the completed development need to be addressed. This can be used to open a useful dialogue with the nearby residents. At the same time, individuals are becoming less tolerant of sources of noise which may already exist within their community. The acoustical consultant can advise the operators of equipment how to control its noise and how to respond complaints. Another vital service that can be provided is giving expert evidence at public hearings and planning inquiries. Our expert has given evidence at the City of Beverly Hills Planning Commission.

Examples

The Renovation of the Beverly Hills Hotel
Kaiser Central Laboratory
Beverly West Square
The Car Connection
Royal Mint Court, London

When acoustical problems are experienced in a completed project, it is essential that they are addressed quickly and that the solution minimizes disruption to the tenant and fully takes account of the imposed physical constraints. It is equally important that the diagnosis leads to measures that adequately mitigate the problem and not merely a partial solution.

Provision of good speech intelligibility in court rooms, the application of soft acoustical finishes that are durable and tamper resistant, achievement of adequate internal sound isolation and the control of noise from firing ranges to residential communities at night need careful coordination between the architect and the acoustical consultant.

Verification of manufacturers' published acoustical data is becoming increasingly important, as buildings become increasingly lightweight and equipment is moved closer to the occupied space. Assessment of the suitability of modifications to a standard design can also be performed by the acoustical consultant in a manufacturer's or an independent test laboratory. Mockİup testing can establish the acoustical conditions for equipment under the conditions proposed for a specific project.
A thorough understanding of test methods and practices enables the acoustical consultant to interpret and use the manufacturer's data correctly.

We are approved by all insurance carriers and have also worked as neutral experts representing both plaintiff and defendant. We handle both plaintiff and defense cases as far afield as Colorado with many of our larger cases occurring in Nevada. Our specialty in these genres includes developing innovative methods of countering our opponents claims either by diminishing or increasing their fiscal impact, as is appropriate.
Our principal is a regular frontİpage contributor to such periodicals as the Los Angeles Daily Journal, the Utah State Bar Journal as well as occasional articles in the insurance advocate. Being able to see all sides of every construction issue is a most important attribute, but the ability to communicate this information in a clear and cogent fashion to one's counsel is indispensable and is one that The Solender Group Inc., has mastered.